How to Decrease Chronic Inflammation with Diet
How to Decrease Chronic Inflammation with Diet Chronic inflammation in the body is linked with many serious illnesses: heart disease, numerous cancers, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, arthritis and autoimmune conditions. We usually think of inflammation as on the surface of the body presenting as local redness, heat, swelling and/or pain. It actually signals our body’s healing response and brings more immune activity towards the site of injury or infection. But when inflammation persists or serves no purpose to increase healing, the end result is damaging to the body. Until recently chronic inflammation was thought of as idiopathic and insidious. Here are some foods to increase in your dietary regimen and foods to avoid in order to decrease inflammation in the body. Trans Fats According to the Mayo Clinic, trans fats can induce inflammation by damaging the cells in the lining of blood vessels. Always investigate labels for hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils and industrialized seed oils. Sugar Too much sugar can alert the body to send out extra immunity messengers, called cytokines, resulting in an inflammatory response. As good as it might taste, and as hard as it is to eliminate, sugar should be eaten rarely and in moderation. Like Dr. Mark Hyman says, treat sugar like a recreational drug. Simple Carbohydrates White breads and pastas break down quickly into sugar, which in turn leads to inflammation. In a 2010 study, researchers found that a diet high in refined grains led to a greater concentration of certain inflammatory markers in the blood. Conversely, a diet high in whole grains resulted in a lower concentration of inflammatory markers. Saturated Fats Animal fats are linked to inflammation. One research study by Scientific American tracked how our beneficial gut bacteria changed after eating saturated fats and found that “as the balance of species shift, it can trigger an immune response that results in inflammation and tissue damage”. According to U.S. News, saturated fats also contain a compound the body uses to create inflammation naturally called arachidonid acid. Diets lower in this molecule have anti-inflammatory effects and have been shown to improve symptoms in Rheumatoid Arthritis patients. Alcohol Alcohol is naturally irritating to our insides, but shouldn’t cause lasting problems unless you overdo it. According to U.S. News, with a few too many drinks, bacteria can easily pass through the intestinal lining, leading to irritation and inflammation. Omega-6 Fatty Acids The average American gets more omega-6 fatty acids via diet than omega-3s. This imbalanced ratio can lead to inflammation. The solution is to cut back on omega-6 heavy seeds and vegetable oils and add more cold-water, fatty fish and walnuts. MSG There’s some research in animals to suggest that the preservative and flavor enhancer MSG can create inflammation. While few of MSG’s effects are understood in much depth, it may be best to avoid. Gluten Even without a diagnosis of Celiac Disease, a number of people report feeling better after eliminating gluten from their diet. In fact, a full 30 percent of American adults are now actively avoiding gluten. Science is still largely inconclusive on what’s being called “gluten intolerance,” but many think that gluten sensitivity can lead to bloating or other digestive ailments and that gluten creates an inflammatory response. How to Eat a More Anti-Inflammatory Diet Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Minimize saturated, trans fats and industrialized seed oils. Eat a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish or fish oil supplements and walnuts. Watch your intake of refined carbohydrates such as pasta and white rice. Eat plenty of whole grains such as brown rice and bulgur wheat. Eat lean protein sources such as chicken; cut back on red meat and full-fat dairy foods. Avoid refined foods and processed foods. Spice it up. Ginger, curry, and other spices can have an anti-inflammatory effect.
New research validates acupuncture and it’s role in treating inflammation
A new study from Rutgers Medical School adds further evidence of the efficacy of acupuncture, as scientists have shown a direct connection between acupuncture and physical mechanisms that heal sepsis, which is a common condition in hospital intensive care units. These results were published in the journal Nature Medicine. Sepsis causes around 250,000 deaths in the US each year, making it a major cause of death. “But in many cases patients don’t die because of the infection,” says lead author Luis Ulloa, an immunologist at Rutgers. “They die because of the inflammatory disorder they develop after the infection. So we hoped to study how to control the inflammatory disorder.” Researchers from this latest study say they already knew that stimulating the vagus nerve – a major nerve in the body – activates mechanisms in the body that reduce inflammation. As such, they tested whether electroacupuncture – a form of acupuncture that involves sending a small electric current through the nerves – would reduce inflammation and organ injury in mice with sepsis. In the electroacupuncture group, half of the septic mice survived. In contrast, the sham group, meaning septic mice who did not receive electroacupuncture, all died. As predicted, when they performed the electroacupuncture on septic mice, the researchers found that cytokines – molecules that help reduce inflammation – were stimulated. Though they were pleased with their results, upon further investigation into why the acupuncture worked so well, Ulloa and his colleagues found that when they removed adrenal glands, which produce hormones in the body, the electroacupuncture stopped being effective. This finding initially dashed their hopes for using this technique in humans because most human sepsis cases carry with them reduced adrenal function. Though electroacupuncture might help a small number of patients with functioning adrenal glands, it would not work in many others. Not deterred, the scientists looked into the anatomical changes that took place when the technique was carried out with fully functional adrenal glands. They found these changes included raised levels of dopamine, which is a neurotransmitter that influences the immune system. However, simply adding dopamine by itself did not help reduce the inflammation. It was not until they used a drug called fenoldopam – which mimics the effects of dopamine – that they were able to succeed in reducing deaths caused by sepsis by 40%. Potential treatment for other inflammatory diseases The team notes that, even without acupuncture, fenoldopam was able to achieve the reduction in deaths. They say their findings are significant because they provide evidence of acupuncture’s benefits beyond what has been shown before, and they also show uses for treating other inflammatory diseases besides sepsis, such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and Crohn’s disease. Additionally, they say they have provided a potential avenue for developing drugs for humans that could reduce sepsis deaths. Because there is currently no FDA-approved drug to treat sepsis, Ulloa says this finding is advantageous.
Protein, protein, protein… (Berkeley Acupuncture)
Protein, protein, protein… (Berkeley Acupuncture) As Chinese medicine practitioners we are always concerned about the amount of protein a patient is getting especially if they are trying to have a baby. As a rule of thumb, a person should consume up 1/2 gram of protein per body weight, some sources even say that should be up a pound! That’s a lot of protein!!! So, for the sake of not eating chicken for breakfast (which I have!) Let’s talk about a yummy option… protein powders! Protein powders can make breakfast totally versatile, low cost and FAST! There are many kinds of protein powders out there, way more than there used to be. Of course, we have SOY, which wouldn’t be my first choice since most of it is GMO and it messes too much with the hormone, estrogen. Second most popular is WHEY, which is a fine choice. People that are lactose intolerant shouldn’t have a problem with whey since it has very little lactose, especially whey protein isolate, but I don’t personally care for the taste, oddly, it makes my tongue itch! Remember egg white protein powder? I hear that’s still around, although I don’t see it very often. Then there’s the vegetarian options, RICE, PEA and HEMP. All of these are great options and I think are helpful in getting protein without overdoing things in the animal protein category. Hemp has a little less protein per serving and can have a gritty taste, so I usually don’t do too much of it. Pea always has a weird taste for me. So, that leaves my favorite, RICE protein powder, non allergenic, not gritty and neutral tasting. I mix it with smoothies or even with some Greek yogurt to really get a popping 40+ grams of protein in one sitting. My favorite smoothie… 2 Scoops of Rice Protein Powder 1/2 frozen banana 3/4 cup of frozen broccoli 1 1/2 cups of water or oat milk 1 teaspoon of Maca (a Peruvian adaptogenic herb) 1 teaspoon of raw cacao powder (AKA chocolate) 1 apple or 1 teaspoon of honey Vitamix it up and YUM! Totally balanced and so nutritious! Christina “Mei Wen” Martin, L.Ac., Dipl.AC, MTOM, FABORM. christina@berkeley-acupuncture.com Christina Martin is the founder of Tao to Wellness. She is an Acupuncturist, Chinese Herbalist and Teacher and has been in practice for fifteen years. She holds a Master’s Degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine and is a fellow of the American Board of Oriental Reproductive Medicine. Christina entered Acupuncture school without ever having an Acupuncture treatment. She simply felt it was her calling.
